Folding box and crate.



C. DICKIE.

FOLDING BOX AND CRATE.

APPLIUATION FILED MAY 5, 1910.

965,089. PatenteafJuly 19, 1910.

INVENTOR C72/CAVE" 1HE Mowers PETERS co wAsHlNaruN. D, c.

CHARLOTTE DICKIE, OF BLAIRSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA..

FOLDING Box AND CRATE.

Specification of Letters '.Patent.

Patented July 19, 1910.

'Application filed May 5, 1910. Serial No. 559,595.

To all whom it 'may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLOTTE Dioxin, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Blairsville, in the county of Indiana and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFolding Boxes and Crates, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to folding boxes and crates, and the primaryobject of my invention is to provide a box or crate that can beadvantageously used for shipping various kinds of merchandise, the boxbeing constructed whereby it can be collapsed to occupy a comparativelysmall space in storage or in a car during return shipment.

A further object of my invention is to provide a collapsible box that issimple in construction, durable, rigid in a set-up position, compact ina knocked-down position, and highly eliicient as an inclosure forvarious kinds of merchandise.

I attain the above objects by a mechanical construction that will behereinafter specifically described and then claimed, and reference willnow be had to the drawing forming a part of this specification, whereinthere is illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention, but it isto be understood that the structural elements thereof can be varied orchanged, as to the size, shape, and manner of assemblage, withoutdeparting from the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a'front elevation of the box or crate in aset-up position. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same.Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of the box. Fig. 4 is a similar viewshowing the box in a folded or knockedy down position, and Fig. 5 is aperspective view of a detached locking plate or latch.

In the accompanying drawings the reference numeral l denotes a bottomplate rectangular in plan and having the edges thereof provided withvertical side plates 2 and 3, the plates 3 being of a greater heightthan the plates 2.

4 denotes end walls hinged to the side plates 2, as at 5, and thesewalls are adapted to fold inwardly one upon the other.

6 and 7 denote rear and front walls hinged, as at 8, to the side plates3 and these walls are adapted to fold inwardly one upon the other uponthe end walls 4. The walls 4,

6, and 7 are provided with central vertical slots 9 and with plates 10upon the inner and outer sides of the walls, said plates closing theslots and providing pockets for locking plates or latches 11. The lowerends of these locking plates are adapted to extend downwardly intopockets 12 provided therefor in the side plates 2 and 3, said pocketsbeing formed similar to the pockets of the walls 4, 6, and 7 that is, byslotting the plates 2 and 3 and providing inner and outer side plates13. The upper ends of the locking plates 11 are reduced, as at 14 andprovided with recesses 15 serving functionally as finger grips forraising the locking plates or latches. To retain the locking plates inthewalls 4, 6, and 7 said locking plates are provided with verticalopenings 16 and through these openings extend rivets or pins 17'carriedby the plates 10, these pins or rivets limiting the upward and downwardmovement of the locking plates within said walls.

The plates 2 and 8 have the vertical edges thereof provided with cornerpieces 18, and .these corner pieces limit the outward movement of thewalls 4, 6, and 7, besides protecting the corners of the box.

19 denotes a lid having depending flanges 20 adapted to embrace theupper edges of the walls 4, 6, and 7. This lid is cut away, as at 21, toprovide clearance for the upper reduced ends 14 of the plates 11 and thesides of the lid are provided with hinged olii-set hasps 22 adapted tobe engaged by swiveled hooks 23 carried by the outer plates 10 at theside of a box. Staples can be substituted for these swiveled hooks inorder that the lid can be locked upon the box.

To provide clearance for the swiveled hook carried by the wall 4 that isfirst folded inwardly, the inner plate 10 of the opposite wall 4 is outaway, as at 24.

In order that easy access can be had to the l recesses 15 by thefingers, the upper edges f the inner plates 10 are cut away, as a; o;

To provide clearance for p jdr( swiveled hook 23 carried by thelcreteil*"plate 10 of the uppermost wall 4,/When the box is folded, theunderneath side of the lid 19 is eut away, as at 26.-/

, lll/hen the walls of the box are folded inwardIy, as best shown inFig. 4 of the drawings, the lid can be fitted upon the collapsed box andto retain the lid thereon, the outer plates 13 at the sides of the boxare pro-V vided with swiveled hooks 27 to engagethe hasp 22. Thedepending flanges of the.

I the bottom plate l and the lowermost side wall 4f. The box is made ofwood with the trimmings ,thereof of metal, and in lieu of solid wallsslats or frames can be employed. W'hat'l claim, is Y l. A collapsiblebox embodying a botto plate, vertical plates carried by the edges ofsaid bottom plate, side walls hinged to said vertical plates and adaptedto oldinwardly oneV upon the other,.front and rear vwalls hinged to saidVertical plates and adapted to foldV inwardly one upon the other on topof said side plates, Vlocking plates slidably mounted insaid walls,.saidplates being of a greater length than-the depth of said walls to extendinto the vertical plates of said bottom plate and hold said walls inayertical position, and a lid adapted to lit upon the upper edges ofsaid walls.

2. A.k collapsible Vbox embodying a bottom plate, Vertical platescarried by the edges of said bottomplate, walls hinged to said Verticalplates and .adapted to, fold inwardly one upon the other, locking-plates slidably mounted in said walls and adapted "to en' gage in theVertical plates of said bottom plate, a lid adapted to lit uponthe'upper edges of said walls,and means for connecting saidlid to saidwalls.V

3. A collapsible box embodying a bot-toni plate, vertical plates carriedthereby,walls hinged to saidvertical'platesand adapted to fold inwardlyone upon the other, a lid adapt-` edto fit upon theupper edges of saidwalls, and means adapted to hold said walls in a kVertical position,said means including outer and inner'plates carried by said walls, andlocking plates slidably mounted between said inner and outer plates andadapted to enter said Vertical walls. Y

In testimony whereof'I aBx my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

, Witnesses KARL HJBUTLER, MAX `H. SRoLovrrz.

CHARLOTTE DICKIE.

